‘Sinners’ Jayme Lawson slams BAFTA and BBC for ‘careless’ program: ‘That’s not inclusivity. That’s exploitation.’

The “Sinners” actress said that BAFTA and the BBC are both to blame for not addressing activist John Davidson’s outbursts and for airing them on the broadcast.

“Sinners” actress Jayme Lawson was clear about who needed to take accountability for the N-word being shouted at her castmates while they were onstage at the BAFTAs one week ago.

At the NAACP Image Awards last night, Lawson put the onus on BAFTA and the BBC for a “lack of care” for Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo, and for “exploiting” activist John Davidson’s Tourette Syndrome.

“I think the events this weekend exposed a couple of things,” Lawson told the Hollywood Reporter on the red carpet. “Institutionally, we still don’t understand what inclusion means. Just because you invite someone into a space, but you don’t provide the necessary resources to keep them and everyone else in that room safe by them being there, that’s not inclusivity. That’s exploitation.”

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She praised Jordan and Lindo and the entire “Sinners” team for exercising “grace and dignity” regarding the incident. And addressing Davidson, she said the outbursts caused by his Tourette’s Syndrome were “exploited.”

“That man’s disability got exploited that night, and it led to multiple offenses,” Lawson said of Davidson. “That’s the BAFTA‘s fault. And then the BBC to air what they aired is careless — and not like some haphazard accident — a real lack of care was exercised for those two Black men.”

She added that the BBC chose not to air aspects of the BAFTA program, including when Akinola Davies Jr. said “Free Palestine” in his speech.

“You censored one Black man,” Lawson said. “You failed to protect two others, and our production designer, Hannah [Beachler]. You do not care for our dignity, our humanity. You want to celebrate our art, but you won’t protect [us].” She then said that events like the NAACP Image Awards feel like a safe space.

When Lindo took the stage at the NAACP Image Awards with director Ryan Coogler, the audience burst into applause. Lindo thanked the audience filled with his peers, and said it was “an honor” to be with “our people.”

“I’d just like to officially say, I appreciate, we appreciate all the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend. It means a lot to us,” Lindo said.

“One Battle After Another” actress Regina Hall also presented that night and shouted out Lindo and Jordan, sending them love from the stage. This prompted a standing ovation for the two actors.